Soul of The City Installment 3
by Mike Paterno
Summary: This fanfic, the sequel to TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS, is the seventh in a series that introduced Mark Perini as McGinty's bar manager. Mark has the chance to see what the city of Chicago would be like without Gary and it isn't very pretty.


**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

It was just about seven forty-five in the morning when Crumb slowly walked up the short concrete steps that led into the front entrance of the Chicago Police Department's fourth precinct building on Orleans Street. He had received a phone call from Detective Antonia Brigatti the previous afternoon, asking him, no, more like demanding him to be at her office by eight o'clock the next morning. As he entered the building that he had worked in for over thirty-five years before retiring, Crumb still wondered which informant had connected him to Brigatti's drug bust at West Side Produce and why she needed to talk to him anyway. His thoughts were interrupted as a tall, older man bumped into him in by the stairway that led to the detective's offices.

"Hey! Watch where yer goin', okay there, fella? We're all in a hurry to get where we're supposed to be!"

"Watch yourself, dirtball," the older man answered, "I have an appointment to get to!"

"Hey! Who ya callin' a dirtball, old man?" shouted Crumb, "And you ain't the only one with an

appointment, ya know! I got one, too!"

"Well, doesn't that just make you so special! Get the hell out of my way!"

"Listen, pal," replied Crumb, "Yer just lucky that we're in the precinct house or I'd give you somethin' so's ya could see how special I am!"

"You and what army, fat boy?"

"That's it, scumbag!" answered Crumb angrily as he put up his fists, "You and me! Outside! Now!"

As the older man began to raise his fists in return, he looked straight at Crumb and put down his arms, "Do I know you? You seem familiar!"

"Marion Crumb! Retired Chicago cop! And who," Crumb asked sarcastically, "The hell are you?"

While extending out his hand for Crumb to shake, the older man answered, "Molina, Frank Molina."

"Oh, yeah," smiled Crumb, "The trash man, right?" He shook his hand.

"Yeah, the trash man," replied Molina, "But I used to be in the FBI a long time ago and I think maybe our paths have crossed somewhere along the line. I'm sure I've met you before!"

"Really? I've met lotsa feds over the years, but can't say I remember ya."

Molina shook his head, "You've got me, I can't seem to remember, either. Oh well, it really doesn't matter, I suppose." He looked at his watch, "Like I said before, I have an appointment."

"With who?"

"Some skirt named Brigatti."

Crumb grinned and made a short laugh, "Heh-heh! She's just up yer alley. You and her will get along just swell!"

"I've only talked to her on the phone, but I can tell you that she's not my kind of cop! Women on the force," Molina shook his head, "What a mistake!"

"It's a damn good thing I gotta see her, too," laughed Crumb, "Or you just might find yerself behind bars! She's one tough lady! C'mon, Molina, I'll take ya to her and on the way maybe we can find out where ya know me from."

"What the hell, why not?"

=============

Mark got off of the phone with his uncle and turned to face Marissa who was sitting at the kitchen table. "Well, it's all set, Uncle Angelo will be here tonight! His flight comes into O'Hare at five thirty and we'll pick him up!" He smiled, "He's really anxious to meet you and it's sorta funny, too. He told me how sorry he was for being so stupid. In all the years I've known him, he's never once apologized to me for anything before. I guess Amma must have really put the fear of God into him!"

"Maybe not the fear of God," answered Marissa, "It may've been the _love_ of God." She got up from the table and tapped her cane over to him, "After all, He does work in strange and wondrous ways." After reaching where Mark stood, Marissa felt for his face and kissed him. "When we got married, you made a promise that you'd always keep the door open for your relatives to get to know me. It may have taken a little longer than you wanted, but I always had faith that everything would work out....and it did! I'm very proud of you for never shutting that door."

Mark returned her kiss and smiled, "I could never shut it, Sweetstuff....your foot was always holding it open."

=============

Gary had only one save that morning, but it was something he wished he could skip. When he saw the story in _The Paper_ while drinking his coffee, his first reaction was to call Mark and have him do it, but the cat meowed loudly.

"You can read minds now, Cat? C'mon! This is a save I could do without! Ya know what those two really think of me!" Gary shook his head, "And who's that other guy with 'em?"

"Rowwrr!"

He threw _The Paper _down on the table while putting on his jacket. He shook his head again while looking at the medium sized headline on the lower half of the front page, '**HERO DETECTIVE, EX-COP AND TRASH KING INJURED IN PRECINCT MELEE**'. Alongside the story were the photos of Brigatti, Crumb and a man named Molina.

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

As Crumb and Molina climbed the stairs to the detective's offices on the second floor, Molina asked him how long he had been a Chicago cop before retiring.

"Geez, Molina, I guess, uh, thirty-nine years before I hung it up, and, I was a detective for thirty years in this very buildin'! It's sorta strange comin' here and not bein' cop, but I sometimes go on them ride-along things, ya know what I mean, just to make me feel like I'm still on the force. Right now, I got my own private detective agency, but it just ain't the same, ya know, investigatin' cheatin' husbands, insurance scammers, and other dregs of society. I'm thinkin' 'bout closin' it down and askin' for my old bartendin' job back at this joint I used to work for a couple years ago. I know both the owners and even though one of 'em's a flake, he's okay, I suppose. He's gettin' married tomarra and invited me to the weddin'."

Molina nodded his head, "Must be nice having some friends, Crumb. I don't bother with people and they don't bother with me."

"You? No friends?" chuckled Crumb, "With that outgoin' personality of yers, I kinda find that hard to believe!"

Molina gave Crumb a dirty look.

"When did ya leave the bureau?"

"1964."

"Why?"

"None of your damned business!"

Crumb shook his head, "Hey, I'm just makin' conversation. I was tryin' ta see if maybe I could figure out when and if we met, but since you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine with me!"

"Fine with me, too!"

"Just as well, 'cause there's Brigatti's office!" Crumb pointed, "And I can't wait to find out why she wants to see the both of us this mornin'!"

=============

As Gary walked from his apartment to catch the el, he decided to re-read the story about the melee at the police station.

'Yesterday morning at around 8:30AM, an alleged altercation between a C.P.D. detective and civilians occurred in the detective's section of the fourth precinct police station on Orleans Street. A C.P.D. spokesman announced that the incident was currently under investigation and that authorities would issue a formal statement as soon as more facts were available. The detective allegedly involved in the incident, Detective Antonia Brigatti, 33, of Chicago, has been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and is currently being treated for her injuries at Cook County Hospital. The two others reportedly injured in the altercation are Frank Molina, 69, of Skokie, the owner of Molina's Trash Service, and Marion Crumb, 63, of Chicago, a local private investigator. Both were treated and released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Police are currently holding Mr. Molina and he may be charged with assaulting a police officer. There are no charges pending against Mr. Crumb.'

While waiting for his El train, Gary looked at his watch. The time was now a little before eight o'clock and the platform was crowded with commuters.

'Why am I doing this?' he thought, 'I already have a very busy day with all the stuff I gotta do before me and Amma's wedding tomorrow!' He silently shook his head, 'I guess I owe one to Brigatti, she did help me in the Scanlon murder case, and Crumb...well, I do know him and he's...he's okay, I suppose. I don't know anything about Molina, though. Maybe that's why _The Paper _needs me to be there, 'cause of that trash guy.'

Gary tucked _The Paper _in his back pocket and boarded the train arriving at the station.

=============

Mark was downstairs in the bar doing the daily set-up, when he suddenly got an idea. He ran up the stairs to the loft and quickly went inside.

"Sweetstuff!" Mark was out of breath and paused for a moment, "I-I've got a great idea!"

Marissa was sitting at the kitchen table going over some Braille paperwork when he came in. "Mark, honey, slow down and catch your breath first, then tell me this great idea of yours!" She got up from the table and made her way to the direction of his voice.

Mark patiently waited for her to come over to him and then smiled broadly when she did.

"Marissa! You know how you were saying the other day that the loft was becoming too small for us and the twins?"

"I remember saying that to you," she replied, "And I also remember you not saying anything about it either."

"That's because I needed to think about something first!"

"And what might that be?"

"Where we could move to and what we'd do about the loft!" He kissed her, "But I finally figured it all out! We'll give Gary and Amma the loft, and you, the twins and me will move to Marina Towers! It's only a short walk to McGinty's and it's in a great location! I was thinking about what you said when I was cleaning two pilsner glasses. I set them down on the bar next to one another and suddenly they looked like Marina Towers to me! The next thing I know, I'm running up the stairs to tell you my idea!"

Marissa returned his kiss and grinned, "Marina Towers, huh? I guess I'd better get the number from information and give their leasing office a call, don't you think?"

"I take it that means you approve of my idea, Sweetstuff."

She giggled, "I approve. Now just don't stand there, Mark, bring me the phone!"

=============

Molina and Crumb entered Brigatti's office. Brigatti was sitting at her desk and writing something in a file when they walked in.

"Brigatti?" asked Crumb, "You wanted to see me and Molina?"

"Crumb, how nice of you to show up!" answered Brigatti curtly, "And I suppose the other one is Molina! Gee, all we'd need now is for Hobson to show up and I'd have 'The Three Stooges' at my disposal!"

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

Gary arrived at the fourth precinct police station at ten minutes past eight and quickly made his way towards Brigatti's second floor office. As many times as he had been there, he still got an uneasy feeling that gave him slight stomach pains and caused him break out in a sweat. 'Nerves,' he thought, 'or maybe it's just her. I really never understood what I saw in Brigatti, except...well, she did bring out something in me, what, I'm not really sure of!' He smiled, 'And wow, could she kiss!'

His smile faded, 'But I'm in love with Amma, and I'm marrying her tomorrow. Me and Brigatti couldn't have worked out anyway...first, there's _The Paper_ and second, she's allergic to cats. And Mom! Damn! Her and Brigatti? Mom would've gotten along better with Erica!' His smile came back, 'Hell! Mom probably would've gotten along better with Marica, too, and she couldn't stand her!'

As Gary approached Brigatti's office, he heard a shouting match coming from behind the closed door.

"I want answers and I want them now!" screamed Brigatti at the top of her lungs, "I want to know how both of you got involved in my case with West Side Produce!" She pointed her finger at Molina, "And you, Molina! I'm probably gonna charge you with interference in official police business by withholding the extortion information!"

Molina grunted. "Women detectives! You think you can get what you want by just flashing your legs or fluttering your eyelashes! I ain't tellin' you crap!"

Brigatti got up from her desk and grabbed the lapels of Molina's topcoat, "You are going to tell me, buster, or I'll be forced to get rough on you! And believe me, just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean I'm not as tough, if not tougher, than you!"

"Oh, yeah?" replied Molina, "Give it your best shot! I ain't tellin' you nothin'! And there ain't no skirt anywhere that can whip me!"

"That's it, trash man!" Brigatti shouted, "I hope you like soup, because when I'm done with you, you won't be able to chew anything for a month!"

"Whoa!" yelled Crumb, "Hold on youse two! It's just an interview, not a damn prize fight!"

"You keep out of this, Crumb," replied Brigatti, "I'll deal with you after I'm done with this idiot!"

Brigatti raised her fist and was about to punch Molina when the door opened.

"Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

Brigatti and Crumb both looked in the direction of the door and shouted in unison, "HOBSON?"

=============

Marissa put down the phone and smiled, "Well, honey, I just finished speaking to the leasing agent at Marina City, and he told me they have a three bedroom unit that just became available in tower one. After we discussed the rent, I had him put it on hold for us. We could move in by next weekend!"

"Fantastic, Sweetstuff! We'll take it!"

"Mark," Marissa asked, "Don't you want to take a look at it first? A three bedroom might be too big for you, me and the twins."

Mark smiled, "If it's too big, then I guess we'll just have to have more kids!"

She made a nasty face, "Only if you can find a way of giving birth to them this time instead of me!"

Mark chuckled, "Um....we'll talk later about that. For now, call the leasing guy back and tell him we'll take it, okay?"

Marissa smiled, "Okay."

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

"HOBSON!" screamed Brigatti, "What the hell are you doing here? I'm conducting an official police interview and if you don't leave this instant, I'll arrest you for interfering in police business or maybe just for being a public nuisance! I mean it, Hobson! Beat it before I can think of anything else to lock you up with!"

"H-Hold on, Brigatti," Gary quickly replied, "I just came here to talk to Crumb. I need to go over some of my wedding details with him and we don't have much time."

"Huh? Your wedding? Wait a minute...how did you know he'd be here?" demanded Brigatti, "Did he tell you?"

Gary couldn't think of a reply, "Um...well...I-I..."

"Yeah," Crumb quickly interjected, "I told the kid yesterday when he came to see me, detective. He's gettin' married tomarra and I'm in his weddin' party! Hobson ain't workin' on all cylinders 'cause of it!" Crumb winked at Brigatti, "You know how he is."

Brigatti shot Gary a dirty look, "So you're marrying that other 'Blondie' after all, Hobson. Well, don't expect congratulations or a gift from me, okay?"

"Can we get on with this damned interrogation?" yelled Molina, "I've got some crap of my own I need to take care of and this is wasting my time!"

"It's an interview, Molina," Brigatti answered sharply, "Not an interrogation, and it's finished for now! I'll contact both of you losers later, so don't leave the area for the moment, okay?"

"Okay, detective," smiled Crumb, "I don't plan to."

"Me neither," snorted Molina, "Not that it's any of your business."

Brigatti glared at Gary, "And Hobson..."

"Um...yeah?"

"Do me a favor...stay the hell out of my office and my life! That blonde you're marrying must be as nutty as you are! I'm sure of it!" She shook her head.

"Heh-heh, she's sure got your number, pal!" laughed Crumb, "C'mon, Hobson, let's you and me leave this place and talk about what you wanted to, okay?"

"Um...yeah." Gary shook his head, looked down at _The Paper_ and noticed that the story about the fracas at the police station was now gone. As they walked out of Brigatti's office, he looked over at Crumb and realized that he had covered for him. Crumb hadn't told him about his meeting with Brigatti and lied to her when he said he did.

"Uh...Crumb...I-I...well, I just want to say...."

"Forget it, Hobson," Crumb quickly interrupted, "I know you well enough not to ask why you showed up here today! That cock and bull story about goin' over weddin' details with me was BS and you know it! I don't wanna know what you knew and why you knew it, okay?"

"Fair enough, Crumb."

"But, Hobson," Crumb chuckled, "Since we're here and together, let's you and me get some breakfast, on you, of course!"

"Yeah," grumbled Gary, "Of course."

=============

Marissa called Amma in order to tell her about Mark's idea.

"Amma? Hi, it's Marissa! I'm calling to see how the wedding is shaping up and to tell you something that Mark and I plan on doing for you and Gary after you come back from your honeymoon!"

"Hi, Marissa!" said Amma, "The wedding is going fine! Everybody whom we invited has said they'll be there and Father McAllistor laughed at thought of another wedding at McGinty's! He even asked me if I was pregnant too!"

Marissa sighed, "I guess he'll never forget my wedding, will he?"

Amma chuckled, "No, I suppose not!" Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "So, Marissa, what's this something you and Mark plan on doing for me and Gary after our honeymoon?"

"Mark and I just leased an apartment at Marina City and we think it'd be a great idea for you and Gary to move back into the loft! Gary would probably feel more comfortable living with you there and I think it would make taking care of _The Paper _a bit easier for both of you. We could be all moved out by the time you two get back and Mark said he'd even move your things into the loft for you while you were gone." Marissa paused for a moment, "I know we should have asked you first, but Mark told me that you two hadn't made any plans for where you were going to live after your wedding."

"That's a wonderful idea, Marissa! I'm sure Gary will be thrilled when I tell him! He didn't want me to mention this to you or Mark, but he really misses living in the loft and this will make him...and me, very happy!"

"Great! Then it's all settled! I'll have Mark make the arrangements with the moving company to bring yours and Gary's things to the loft after we've moved out!"

"That sounds great to me, Marissa!" Amma changed the subject again, "Do you think Mark will have any reservations about handling _The Paper _for Gary while we're away on our honeymoon? The last time he did it....well, we won't talk about that."

"I-I don't think it will be a problem, Amma," answered Marissa, "But he has been acting somewhat strangely for the past couple of days. He tries not to talk about _The Paper _too much. He mentioned something about having a nightmare about it, but really hasn't told me anything. Still, you know my hubby, he'll take care of _The Paper _if he has to."

"I suppose, Marissa, but just in case....maybe I should talk to him later."

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

Gary and Crumb stopped to have breakfast at Dino's Diner on La Salle Street. "I know this place don't look like much," said Crumb as they sat down at the counter, "But the food's great! A big stack of flapjacks smothered in syrup and butter, fried eggs with yolks that ain't busted, crispy hash browns and sausages that'll make your mouth water!"

"That sounds like some pretty good choices, Crumb. Which one of them are you having?"

"Huh? Weren't ya listenin' to me, Hobson? That is what I'm havin'!"

Gary glared at him, "You're having all of them? Crumb! There's gonna be enough grease in your breakfast to lubricate half the Midwest! Not to mention what it'll do to your cholesterol level!"

"It's my normal breakfast, Hobson! You'd never catch me eatin' some granola or any other of that health food crap! That stuff's for wimps! So what're ya orderin'?"

"Flapjacks and sausage, I guess."

"What else?"

"That's it, Crumb!"

"I guess if I was gettin' hitched tomarra, I'd eat light, too."

Gary rolled his eyes and sighed.

=============

Mark came back home to the loft after signing the lease for his family's new apartment. After kissing Marissa hello, he walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured them each a drink to celebrate. He brought her the drink and carefully placed it in her hands.

"Mark, honey, what's this?"

"A scotch and soda, Sweetstuff. I thought we'd toast to the new apartment!"

"Mark! I really shouldn't drink," complained Marissa, "I'm still nursing the twins and it might be possible for the alcohol to get into my milk! Besides, honey, isn't it a bit early in the day to have scotch?"

"It's just past four PM in Scotland and it's a very small amount," he replied, "And if you're really worried about passing it on to the twins," Mark paused for a moment and then grinned broadly, "I, uh, would volunteer to do a, uh, taste test!"

"That's really not necessary, Mark," chuckled Marissa, "Although I'm certain you still wouldn't mind volunteering for that duty! I suppose one small drink wouldn't hurt me."

Mark carefully placed his glass next to hers and after slowly guiding her hand, raised his glass, "To our new apartment, Sweetstuff, may our family continue to be happy and blessed!"

"To our new apartment!" echoed Marissa. After taking a sip of her drink, she felt for Mark's face and then moved her own closer towards it. Using her fingers as a guide to find his lips, Marissa gave him a loving kiss.

Mark returned her kiss, "Thanks, Marissa, that was very nice." He grinned again, "Are you sure you don't need me to do that taste test?"

"Mark!"

"Just checking!"

Marissa smiled, shook her head and then quietly mentioned to him, "There, um, is something else you can do for me, though."

"Sure, Sweetstuff," Mark replied after taking a sip of his drink, "Whadya need me to do?"

Her face turned serious, "I know you don't feel comfortable yet explaining that nightmare to me that you had a couple of evenings ago. So, since it was about _The Paper_, maybe you could explain it to Amma. We're both concerned that it might get in the way of you taking care of _The Paper _while she and Gary are on their honeymoon."

"No, Marissa, I'm not ready to discuss it yet, not with you, and certainly not with Amma. It won't get in my way of being able to handle _The Paper _for a week, you can rest assured of that. When I'm ready, Sweetstuff, I'll tell you all about it," he kissed her, "But until then, you'll just have to trust me."

She kissed him back, "I trust you, Mark. I know you'll tell me when you feel up to it."

=============

"So, Hobson," Crumb asked after they finished eating, "Excited about tomarra? It'll be fun to go to another weddin' at the bar as long as there ain't gonna be some other woman expectin' a baby this time." Crumb stared at him, "There ain't none, right?"

"No, Crumb, no babies making a grand entrance this time! I guess I am pretty excited, I mean, well, I did meet Amma at Marissa and Mark's wedding and to be honest, I've been sorta jealous of them. All I've ever really wanted out of life was a good wife and a chance to have a family." Gary smiled broadly, "And with Amma I get both of them. I'd say I was the luckiest guy on the face of the earth."

Crumb smiled, "If ya ain't the luckiest, at least ya seem the happiest."

"I am. Thanks Crumb."

"Don't thank me, I'm just callin' it like I see it." Crumb suddenly changed the subject, "Hey! Did you know that other guy in Brigatti's office today? Frank Molina? I keep havin' this idea that I know him from somewhere....I just can't figure out from where!"

Gary shook his head, "No Crumb, I've never heard of him before. I think he owns all those dumpsters you see around town."

"Yeah, he does." Crumb laughed, "And you'll get a kick out of this, Hobson, he told me he used to be an FBI agent! Ha! Ya don't go from the FBI to pickin' up trash!"

"I dunno, Crumb, you went from being a detective to tending bar for me at one time."

"Hobson!" Crumb was noticeably annoyed, "Just pay the damn check and we'll go our separate ways, okay?"

"That's fine with me too, Crumb!" Gary raised his arm, "Check, please!"

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

After leaving the diner, Gary proceeded down La Salle until reaching Washington Street and the small storefronts that populated the area around the intersection. A smile came across his face after spotting his reason for being in that neighborhood, a small formalwear shop. Gary had phoned the shop the day before and was now ready for the final fitting of the tuxedo that Amma had picked out for him to wear. Deciding to take a glance at _The Paper _before entering the shop, Gary's smile was suddenly replaced by a frown as he quickly turned around and ran towards the nearby Madison/Wells El Station. "Ya know," Gary grumbled, "Some days it just doesn't pay to be me!" After catching the northbound train, Gary stared at the reason for his sudden change of plans, a story that hadn't been in _The Paper _earlier, '**EX-COP KILLED IN HIT AND RUN, Trash King Charged In Mid-Morning Mishap'**.

Underneath the headline were the pictures of Crumb and Frank Molina.

=============

Having left Gary at the diner, Crumb slowly walked towards the El. Normally, he would've driven his car to the 4th precinct police station for his meeting with Brigatti, but after listening to the radio this morning, he heard that traffic was at a standstill and decided on taking public transit instead. Crumb was starting to feel a bit queasy from his gargantuan breakfast and thought he might stop for a moment until the feeling passed. 'Damn!' Crumb thought, 'I'd hate thinkin' that Hobson might be right about what I ate, but the S.O.B. could be!' Bending over slightly, he put his hands on his thighs to steady himself, 'And he really put me in my place about Molina, and I gave him crap for it! Maybe I shoulda cut Hobson a bit more slack, I mean, after all, he's gettin' married tomarra!' He stood back up, 'Hmm...I betcha somethin' was gonna happen down at the station this mornin' and Hobson knew it! I don't know how he knows stuff ....maybe it's got somethin' to do with that damn paper he's always carryin' around with him...nah...but whatever it is, I really don't wanna know.' Crumb shook his head, 'Sometimes Hobson gives me the creeps with all that mumbo-jumbo or ESPN crap that he seems to know, but sometimes I'm damn glad he knows it.'

Crumb continued on his way towards the El and was crossing the street when he stepped on something squishy. "What the hell?" He looked down and saw what he had stepped in, "Geez Louise! Horse crap! Goddamn it! Why the hell does this city still have horse mounted cops?" Now completely occupied with wiping the horse manure off of his shoe, Crumb didn't see the fast approaching car that was heading right towards him.

=============

Frank Molina left the 4th precinct station and drove around the city for a while. He was very angry at what he considered a complete waste of his time with Brigatti that morning and got even angrier when the thought of another meeting with that "skirt" was still ahead in his future. 'I don't know why that so called "detective" needs to speak with me anyway, she already knows as much, if not more, than I do about the extortion plot from West Side Produce!' He then thought about the former cop he had met that morning and kept trying to remember where he knew him from, 'That ex-cop's important for some reason, I'm sure of it! I just wish I could remember why!'

With his thoughts centered on trying to remember where he knew Crumb from, Molina missed the street he had planned to turn on, 'Damn! I just missed my turn! Oh, what the hell, I'll take the next left up here, since nobody uses it except those stupid horse patrols on their way to the park!'

He made a very sharp turn and the sun visor above his head suddenly came down, blocking his view. He began trying to push the visor out of the way and, at the same time, moved his foot to step on the brake. Instead of the brake, he accidentally stepped on the accelerator and his car sped out of control towards a man standing in the middle of the street. The man standing in the middle of the street was Crumb, still trying to wipe off his shoe.

=============

Gary quickly ran from the El station and saw Crumb standing in the middle of the street, moving one of his feet in an odd motion and oblivious to a rapidly approaching automobile headed straight towards him.

"CRUMB!"

Crumb looked up, "Hobson?"

Gary knew he had no choice but to run and try pushing Crumb out of the path. He ran over, jumped and knocked him out of the way, just as the speeding vehicle passed where Crumb had been standing only seconds earlier. Gary was partially hit by the car as it sped by and landed on top of Crumb, who was face down on another pile of horse manure.

Rolling off of Crumb once the car had gone by, Gary had some difficulty in moving and realized the speeding vehicle had grazed his back and that he was now in pain.

Crumb quickly got up and tried to brush off what he at first thought was dirt from his face and clothes. After realizing what he had landed in, Crumb glared at Gary, "Oh that's perfect, Hobson! Ya just pushed me into a big pile of horse crap! What the hell is it with you? That car wouldn't have hit me! Are you nuts? C'mon, Hobson, are you?"

Gary looked up at him in obvious pain, "Cr-Crumb, c-call 911, I-I can't feel m-my legs."

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

Mark was sitting alone in McGinty's office, smoking his pipe and going over some paperwork while Marissa was upstairs in the loft taking a nap. Mark had recently patched their home phone from the loft to the office so he could turn off the upstairs ringer when she napped. The twins' late night and early morning feedings had made the mid-day naps somewhat of a necessity for Marissa and he didn't want her disturbed while she slept. He had just finished going over the month's expense report when the loft phone rang in the office.

"Hello?"

"Perini...izzat you?" asked a voice on the other end.

"Uh....who wants to know?"

"It's Crumb....I'm, um, at....at Northwestern Memorial Hospital."

"Zeke? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Um....nothin' happened to me....it's, um, Hobson. He sorta got hit by a car, um, tryin' to stop it from hittin' me. They're checkin' him out now."

"What? Damn! How bad.....I mean...is he hurt? What the hell happened?"

"Perini...I think you'd best get your butt over here fast! Hobson...well, the car hit his back and, well, um, Hobson told me he ain't got no feelin' in his legs."

"I'm on my way, Zeke!" After hanging up the phone, Mark put on his coat and quickly made his way out of the office. Finding Gina tending the front bar, he told her to take care of things while he was out.

"I have....um, an errand to run, so if my wife comes down and wonders where I am, just tell her I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Sure, Mark," answered Gina, "I'll tell her what you told me." She looked over him carefully, "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Gina, but I really need to go...I'll be back shortly."

Mark left the bar and drove the McGinty's van to the hospital.

=============

Amma was talking on the phone to her replacement for _tomorrow's _paperin Philadelphia, Mickey O'Brian, "I'm sorry you can't come to my wedding too, Mickey, but with the responsibility of _The Paper_, I understand why. I still can't believe that Gary gets it here and I'm going to marry him! What do you think the chances of that happening were?"

Mickey laughed, "I think chance had nothing to do with it! There are reasons we don't know or could even begin to understand about these newspapers or the special people that are chosen to get them."

"I suppose you're right, Mickey, I'll never figure out why I was chosen."

"And I don't think you're supposed to, Amma. Who knows? Maybe you and Gary will have children someday and they'll carry on the tradition. That could be one of the reasons you two were meant to meet, but like everything else involved with this paper business, that too, is something you shouldn't try to figure out. Just be glad that you've found true love and a man that makes you happy."

Amma giggled, "I know you're right, Mickey. I shouldn't try to figure it out, but just be thankful that it happened to me and enjoy it! I really love Gary and he really loves me, so that's the only thing I need to think about!"

"Now that's the Amma Perini I know!" Mickey changed the subject, "Oh, I meant to ask you, when is your father getting there?"

"He's arriving tonight. Mark and his wife are picking him up at the airport at five thirty. Dad finally made peace with Mark and can't wait to meet Marissa and the twins!"

"Well it's about time! Your father can be one of the most stubborn people I know and it takes him forever to change his opinion!"

Amma laughed, "That is so true! I kept telling him how wonderful Marissa is and that Mark is really happy with his family, but he just didn't want to listen. I made up my mind that I wasn't going to give up, so I mailed him a portrait of Mark, Marissa and the twins! I think that broke the ice and made him realize how stupid he was."

"I knew you'd think of a way to get him to change his mind, Amma, that's just the way you are! Almost as stubborn as your father sometimes!"

"I have, um, been told that a few times."

"I know I've said it once or twice!"

Amma giggled again, "I'd say more than one or twice, Mickey! I always counted on you to keep me.... click ...Mickey, I have another call coming in, would you mind holding?"

"No, go ahead, Amma, I'll hold."

Amma pressed the flash button on the receiver, "Hello?"

"Amma....it's Mark. Gary...Gary's been in an accident."

"What? Where? Is he okay?"

"He's at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was hit by a car...Zeke's with me, he was with Gary when it happened."

"Oh God! Is he going to be all right?"

"I think you'd better get over here, Amma."

"Okay! I'm on my way!" She pressed the flash button again, "Mickey, I have to go...I'll call you later!"

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

It only took Amma twenty minutes to arrive at the hospital after receiving Mark's phone call telling her about Gary's accident. She went directly to the admitting desk, and after being told what room Gary was in, quickly made her way there. When Amma finally got to his room in Emergency Admitting, she found Mark and Crumb waiting outside it, both of them nervously pacing back and forth.

"Mark! Crumb! H-how's Gary?" Amma tearfully asked, "Have they told you anything?"

Mark hugged her tightly, "They're just finishing with some more tests...he..." his voice trailed off.

"He what, Mark?" demanded Amma, "Tell me!"

"He..." With tears of his own forming, Mark finally said, "Gary can't feel anything below his waist."

"Oh, God!" Amma grabbed the lapels of Mark's unbuttoned topcoat and started to shake him, "It's that goddamn _Paper_! It doesn't want him to marry me! That's what it is, Mark! It's the goddamn _Paper _getting in his way again!"

"Amma....this isn't the time..." Mark looked over at Crumb.

"It's, uh, okay, Perini, really," Crumb quietly replied, "I'll, uh, leave youse two to talk...and, uh, I'll get some coffee. Uh, I'll bring youse back some, okay?"

"Zeke...I, uh, what Amma was saying...." Mark was dumbfounded and didn't know how to explain his cousin's outburst, "What I mean....um..."

"It's, um, okay, Perini..." Crumb gave him a small smile, "Ya don't have to tell me. I'll be back in a few with some coffee for the both of yas, all right?" He left and went in the direction of the hospital cafeteria.

Amma collapsed into Mark's arms. "I didn't mean that! Oh, God! What have I done? I talked about _The Paper _in front of Crumb!" She broke down and began crying, "Why did I blame _The Paper_? Why did I say anything about it around Crumb? Gary's going to be so upset with me! Oh, God, Gary! What about Gary? What if he's paralyzed? I've made it w-worse for him! And now...Crumb....oh, no!"

Mark wiped some of her tears and kissed her forehead, "It's okay, Amma, you're upset and angry. I'm sure Gary won't be mad at you," he wiped some more tears, "He loves you too much." He hugged her, "We'll just have to wait until they tell us more about Gary's condition. We don't know how serious it is." After kissing her on the cheek, he added, "And it looks like Zeke knows a lot more than he's letting on. I think he may've figured out about _The Paper _on his own."

=============

Frank Molina was at his home in Skokie, having some coffee and reading a paper, when the radio he was listening to in his kitchen interrupted a talk show for some breaking news.

"This is a story we've been just handed....This morning, at about ten AM, a man was critically injured in an apparent hit and run accident at the intersection of West Chicago Avenue and North Wells Street. According to an eyewitness, the car, a late model burgundy Lincoln Towncar, hit the victim as he attempted to pull another man out of the car's path. The witness said the car appeared to be out of control. The victim has been identified as local bar owner Gary Hobson. Mr. Hobson was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and there has been no information released on his condition. The Chicago Police Department has requested the public's help in apprehending the suspect. Again, police are looking for a late model burgundy Lincoln Towncar. If you have any information in regard to this case, Chicago Police are asking you to call their tip line at...."

Molina turned off the radio and shook his head. "Damn! I didn't think I hit anyone!" He thought for a moment and realized why the victim's name seemed so familiar. "Hobson..." he said out loud, "That's the kid from this morning at the skirt's office! He knew that fat ex-cop and the skirt!" Quickly putting on his coat, Molina decided to go to the hospital first before turning himself in. "I'd better check on that kid's condition...no telling what I did to him...and I'd better take the company car instead of mine. I don't want to be pulled over before I have the chance to turn myself in." He got into his company vehicle and drove towards the hospital.

=============

Crumb came back from the cafeteria with coffees for Mark and Amma. He walked over to Mark. "Any news on Hobson yet?"

Mark shook his head, "No, Zeke...nothing." He then took a deep breath, "Zeke...I, uh, need to talk to you about...." Mark was suddenly interrupted by the sound of his pager going off. Taking it out of his pocket, he looked at who was paging him, "It's Marissa. I better call her and let her know about Gary. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Crumb shrugged his shoulders, "You do that, Perini. I'll stay here with Amma and wait for some news." As Mark was leaving, Crumb said to him, "And don't worry about what ya want to talk to me about...it can wait. It ain't that important."

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

Mark went to a payphone in the hospital lobby and called Marissa. "Marissa, I don't know how to tell you this, so I'll just say it. The reason that I'm not at the bar, um, Gary's been in an accident. I'm at Northwestern Memorial Hospital ….he…he was hit by a car."

"WHAT?" shouted Marissa into the phone, "How is he….h-how did it happen?"

"There's no word on his condition yet," he quickly answered, "But Gary had no feeling in his legs when they brought him in. And I don't know much about the accident, either, but Zeke Crumb happened to be with him when it happened."

"Didn't Crumb tell you anything?"

"That it was a hit and run and also something about Gary pushing him into some horse crap. He said that the car only clipped Gary as it went by. I'm guessing that Gary probably pushed Zeke out of the path of the car, and was hit instead."

"I'll take a cab and meet you there, Mark. Have you called Amma?"

"Amma's already here, Marissa," Mark replied, "And she started yelling about _The Paper_ not wanting her to marry Gary in front of Zeke."

"Oh, no! What did Crumb say?" Marissa asked.

"Not much," answered Mark, "But I think Zeke might know about _The Paper_….he has known Gary a long time and is a pretty good detective."

"Oh, God."

"Um, Marissa, I think you better hold off on coming here right away. Gary's parents are due at McGinty's soon and one of us should be there to tell them. Amma had tried calling them in Hickory, but they'd already left. When they get to the bar, they can bring you to the hospital."

"You're right, I'll wait for them," she replied, "And I can call Amma on her cell phone for any updates."

"Or we'll call you. Also…I might not be here when you arrive with Bernie and Lois. I have to go to the airport and pick up Uncle Angelo."

"That's right, I forgot!" She paused for a moment, "Mark?"

"Yes?"

"Uh…you don't think that Amma's right about _The Paper_ not wanting her and Gary to marry, do you?"

"I don't know, Marissa. Maybe….but why? And why just a day before the wedding?"

"I'm not sure of anything when it comes to _The Paper_, Mark, but I don't think it would get in the way of Gary getting married to Amma." She then quickly added, "At least I hope not."

"Me too, Sweetstuff. Me too."

=============

Bernie and Lois arrived at McGinty's around noon. They decided to go to the bar upon arriving in Chicago in case Gary was out on a save and park the 'Gray Ghost' in McGinty's parking lot. Lois thought this was a good idea since they would be staying in the 'Gray Ghost" anyway.

Bernie and Lois were in a great mood. The trip from Hickory had been smooth and uneventful and now they could relax until Gary's wedding the following day.

Entering McGinty's, they saw Marissa sitting at a table near the back of the bar and went over to her.

"Marissa!" shouted Bernie jovially, "How's our favorite maid of honor?"

Marissa perked her head up and wiped away a small tear. She dreaded having to give them the bad news about Gary, but knew she had no choice.

"Bernie…Lois…"

They both quickly hugged her, but Lois suddenly pulled back and realized something was wrong.

"Marissa…what's the matter?"

"Lois…Bernie….I'm afraid I have some bad news….."

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

"Bad news?" demanded Lois, "What do you mean? Did Gary cancel the wedding at the last moment and not tell us?"

Marissa wiped a tear from her cheek and gently felt around for Lois's hand, "No, Lois. G-Gary was, um, in an accident this morning and is at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. All we know right now is that a car hit him and the doctors aren't sure of the extent of his injuries. Amma, Mark and Crumb are there with him." She then squeezed Lois's hand tightly, "Crumb was a witness and said that car only appeared to clip him, but from what Mark has told me, Crumb may have been the intended victim and Gary got hit after he pushed him out of the way." She shook her head slowly, "And Mark also seems to think that Crumb might know about _The Paper_, too."

Lois now had a look of shock and bewilderment on her face.

Bernie quickly put his arms around his wife as small tears began to run down both their cheeks. He then turned towards Marissa and quietly said, "I think we should go there now, don't you?"

The three of them left out of the bar and on their way to the hospital.

=============**__**

As Gary lay on a hospital gurney in a part of the hospital away from his friends, the medications that the doctors had given him began to wear off. Somewhat groggy and unsure of what was going on, he slowly began to recall what had happened to him that morning. 'I-I remember pushing Crumb and th-that car, that car hit me. _The Paper_ said that car was supposed to hit Crumb and k-kill him,' Gary thought, 'But it hit me instead.' He tried to sit up, but wasn't able to, 'I can't move my legs! Oh God, what the hell's wrong with me?' He then looked over his surroundings and saw a doctor standing nearby. He managed to blurt out a weak, "Hey! Doctor! Over here!"

"Mr. Hobson?" The doctor quickly came over to Gary and began to check the readouts on the various machines that were connected to him.

"Why can't I feel my legs, doctor? Please," Gary asked him with a raspy voice, "Will you tell me why?"

With a calm and reassuring tone, the intern began to tell Gary what he could. "We're waiting for the results of some tests, Mr. Hobson. We did a CAT scan on your spinal column and at this time, we have no concrete answers to give you. There appears to be no damage to the bone structure of your spine, but until we get the results of the nerve analysis, we're in the dark as much as you are. If the CAT scan doesn't tell us anything, it's possible that we might need to do a spinal tap."

The man with mud green eyes looked up at the intern and quietly uttered, "Oh, God."

=============

"What's taking them so long?" Amma impatiently asked Mark, "Why won't they tell us anything?"

"I don't know, Amma," Mark replied, "These kind of injuries probably need special attention and they might have to do a battery of tests." He shook his head, "It's possible that we might not know for hours."

Amma began to weep again and Crumb walked over to her. Giving her a big hug, he gently kissed her forehead and wiped away some of the tears from her face. "Hobson will be okay, Amma, you'll see. He's a special type of guy and always seems to get himself outta these kinda perdic-a-mints."

He kissed her forehead again, "And you know that. Youse guys are gonna get married tomarra come hell or high water. Hobson loves you, just remember that and believe in it. What youse guys got is special."

Amma managed to force a small smile. "Thanks, Crumb, I know."

Crumb then made his way over to Mark. "About that thingy you wanted talk about, Perini, forget it."

Mark was puzzled, "Huh?"

Crumb smiled, "Let's just say that, uh, I know what I know, but don't wanna know anything more than that."

"Zeke, um, you lost me."

Crumb continued smiling, "Good! And we'll just leave it at that!"

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

"Zeke?" Mark had a momentary look of puzzlement on his face, "I-I don't understand what you're saying."

"It's like this, Perini," Crumb replied with a smile, "I know about what you don't think I know about and ain't supposed to know about."

"Huh?"

Crumb laughed, "Them heebie–jeebie feelin's, ESPN or whatever ya wants to call it of Hobson's."

Mark suddenly turned pale, "I, uh, don't have any idea what you're talking, um, Zeke."

"Yeah, right, Perini, and my fat Aunt Bessie is the queen of France!"

"I thought France was a republic."

Crumb frowned and shook his head, "Don't you gotta go to the airport and pick up yer uncle?"

"Yeah, Zeke, I do. Marissa and Gary's parents are on their way over here. I'll pick up Uncle Angelo and then bring him here directly." Mark sighed, "A hellava way to meet your future son-in-law, don't ya think?"

"It'll be okay, Perini, you'll see," replied Crumb, "It's like I was tellin' Amma. There ain't no way that Hobson's gonna miss their weddin', even if he has ta marry her why he's flat on his back in a hospital bed!"

Mark chuckled, "Who knows, it may have to come down to that."

Crumb nodded his head in agreement and then made his way over to Amma.

Mark left the hospital to go pick up his uncle at O'Hare.

=============

Frank Molina arrived at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about two minutes after Mark had left. He checked at the reception desk and found out what area of the hospital that Gary was in, and made his way to that wing. Upon getting there, he saw Crumb talking to a pretty blonde and walked over to him, "Crumb, isn't it?" Molina inquired, "From this morning at the skirt's office, right?"

"Yeah, it is." Crumb then excused himself from Amma and led Molina towards the cafeteria, "What the hell brings you here, Molina? Ya gotta empty some trash cans around here or somethin'?"

Molina answered Crumb as they walked, "Very funny, fat boy! I came to check on that kid that you know."

"Hobson? Why on earth would ya wanna do that? You don't know him!"

"I know." Molina lowered his head and took a deep breath as they reached the cafeteria, "But I need to check on him, Crumb. You see, I'm the one that hit him with my car this morning."

Crumb lunged at Molina and grabbed his lapels, "You're what?"

=============

Bernie, Lois and Marissa finally made it to the hospital after parking the 'Gray Ghost' in a far off parking area. The three of them found out what section of the hospital Gary was in and quickly went there. Amma saw them get out of the elevator and waved her arm, "Marissa! Bernie! Lois! Over here!"

Lois ran over to Amma, "How's Gary? How's my son?"

Amma put both arms around Lois and gave her a hug. Bernie led Marissa over to the pair just as Amma began to speak.

"There's no news yet." Amma wiped a tear from her eye, "All I can tell you is that Gary has no feeling in his legs. The stupid doctors are keeping me in the dark! They won't tell me a damned thing!"

Marissa quickly interrupted her, "They might not know anything yet, Amma. Tests like these take time."

"I know, but I can't stand the waiting!"

A doctor made his way over to Amma, "Ms. Perini, do you know where or how we can contact Mr. Hobson's parents, by any chance?"

Lois grabbed the doctor's coat and quickly answered, "We're already here! How's my son? What's wrong with him?"

"It's like this, Mrs., uh, Mrs.?"

"Lois Hobson!" she replied sharply, "And that's my husband Bernie Hobson over there with Marissa!"

"As I was saying, it's like this, Mrs. Hobson. We need to run some more tests." He shook his head, "All we can determine right now is that it could be anything from a pinched nerve to spinal cord damage."

Lois frowned and shook her head, "What you're really trying to tell us is that you don't know!"

The doctor paused and let out a small sigh, "Not until we run more tests."

Marissa grabbed Bernie's hand, squeezed it tightly and quietly said, "Oh, God."

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

As Mark drove the McGinty's van towards O'Hare Airport, his thoughts were of Gary and what he might be going through. 'What if Gary can't walk again? What's he gonna do? Will Amma have to take care of _The Paper _for him?' Mark then remembered his conversation with Crumb. "Damn!" he said to himself, "And Zeke knows about _The Paper_! Or at least I'm pretty sure he does! That's all Gary needs right now!" He paused for a moment and another thought came to him, 'Marissa always says that everything happens for a reason, so maybe there's a reason that Zeke might know about _The Paper_. Maybe he's supposed to know so he can help Gary get through what's happened to him.'

Mark suddenly thought of something else, 'Maybe my time helping Gary with _The Paper_ is over and done with. He's got Amma to help him and possibly even Zeke. Maybe _The Paper_ has decided to let me go.' He then reflected on the events that had happened to him over the past few days, 'I somehow went to a parallel reality, had a trip back in time and even met Lucius Snow. I couldn't stop President Kennedy from getting shot, chose to let Erica Paget get arrested instead of warning her and, because of me, Amma could've been killed at the produce market. To top it all off, I almost left my wife and kids and even tried to rob the safe in the bar. The choices I made were poor and my judgment flawed.'

Mark shook his head from side to side, 'I wouldn't even be surprised if Gary getting hit by that car was my fault! After all, I could've taken care of _The Paper_ today, but told Marissa that I didn't feel like it.' Questioning his worthiness of helping Gary with _The Paper_ anymore, he continued driving to the airport now filled with self doubt and completely convinced that Gary's accident was his fault.

=============

"Whadaya mean you're the one that hit Hobson with your car this mornin'?" Crumb began to shake Molina violently, "I'm placin' you under citizen's arrest, Molina! C'mon! You have a date downtown!" He started dragging Molina away from hospital cafeteria.

"Wait, Crumb!" shouted Molina, "I just wanted to check on the kid before I turn myself in! That's why I came here!"

"You really think I'm gonna fall for that, trashman?"

"It's the truth, Crumb! Do you think I'd be so stupid as to come here unless it wasn't?"

Crumb stopped dragging Molina and pondered what he said. "I suppose it has a ring of truth to it, Molina. Ya wouldn't bother to check on him if ya wanted to get away with it."

"It was an accident, Crumb. I didn't even know I'd hit him until I heard it on the radio."

"Okay, Molina, I'll buy that."

"So, how's the kid doing?"

Crumb shook his head and let out a sigh, "He ain't got no feelin' in his legs and the doctors are still doin' a bunch of tests on him. They ain't sure what the hell's wrong."

"Damn. I'm really sorry Crumb, and that's the truth." Molina looked deep into Crumb's eyes, "You can come down to the precinct station with me if you want."

"Nah, I believe ya when ya say you're gonna turn yerself in, Molina. Besides, I sorta need to stay and see how the kid's doin'. He was supposed to get married tomarra, ya know."

"Yeah, I remember you saying that this morning at the skirt's office. That makes me feel even worse about what happened to him."

Crumb put his hand on Molina's shoulder, "Hobson's a pretty tough kid, and I think even this won't stop him from gettin' married."

"I hope so." Molina shook Crumb's hand, "I have to go now, Crumb. It's time for me to turn myself in. I'll contact you and find out how your friend is doing, okay?"

"Okay, Molina."

Molina turned and began to walk away, but suddenly stopped and faced Crumb again. "It really was an accident, you know. I'd never hurt anyone, at least not on purpose."

Crumb grinned, "Yeah, I suppose that's true now, but I can remember a time when that wasn't the case with you."

"Huh?" Molina was puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Crumb winked, "Never you mind, Molina, let's just say that almost forty years in this world can change anyone."

Molina shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

=============

Back in one of the examining rooms, Gary was still on a gurney waiting for more tests when he heard a familiar sound.

"Meowww!"

"Cat? Is that you?"

"Rowwrr!"

_The Paper_ suddenly fell off a cabinet and on to Gary's chest. Picking it up, he glanced at the headline on the front page.

"Oh, No!"

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

Gary stared in horror at the large headline in the middle of the front page: '**TWO DEAD IN BIZZARE FREEWAY ACCIDENT – ONE MAN STRUCK CHANGING TIRE AFTER OTHER LOSES CONTROL OF VEHICLE DURING FATAL HEART ATTACK**'. Underneath the headline were the pictures of Mark Perini and Frank Molina.

"How can I stop this? I can't move my legs!" Gary quickly read the story and saw that the accident occurred at four-thirty in the afternoon. Glancing over at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was now just past three PM. Deciding that he had no other choice, Gary attempted to get off of the gurney, but suddenly found, to his dismay, that he was strapped in below the waist. Now faced with the possibility of not being able to prevent the accident himself, Gary desperately tried to think of another way of making the save. Seeing the cat now quickly leaving his examination room, he yelled at it, "I can't save 'em, ya damn furball! I can't move! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

The cat stopped for a moment and turned it's head towards Gary. It let out a quiet "meow" and proceeded to leave.

"Oh, yeah! That's it!" Gary angrily shouted, "You can give me _The Paper_, but once I get it, it's up to me! Some help you are!"

After hearing all of the commotion, an intern quickly came into his room.

"Are you in pain, Mr. Hobson?"

"Hey! I need to get out of here!" Gary hurriedly replied, "I have to be somewhere! Just give me a shot or something and then let me go!"

The intern shook his head, "Mr. Hobson! If it were only that simple! We're still waiting for the results from the last group of tests we gave you. We still have no idea what's causing your paralysis." The intern looked deep into Gary's eyes, "The anxiety that you're going through is quite normal. I'll give you a little something to relieve it." He walked over to a cabinet and brought out a hypodermic needle, "This will help you to relax."

"No!" screamed Gary, "You don't understand! I've got to leave! I have to save my friend!" He struggled as much as he could to avoid getting the shot.

"Mr. Hobson! If you persist if this manner, I'll have to call in someone to restrain you!"

"I don't want your damn shot! I gotta go!" Gary continued to resist and the intern pressed the call button on the wall. A big, burly orderly came into the room and then held Gary down.

"The doc just wants to help you relax, fella. The shot he's gonna give you will just calm you down a bit."

"NO!"

The intern gave Gary the injection as orderly restrained him, "This will only take a few minutes, Mr. Hobson. Before you know it, you'll be drifting off into a nice light sleep."

"I can't sleep! I have to help…." Gary suddenly began to feel the effects of the shot, "My-my friend...he…he's…gonna die….unless…I…." He glanced up at the clock as his eyes began to feel heavy. The last things Gary saw before passing out were the clock on the wall reading three-fifteen and the orderly placing _The Paper_ on the counter near his gurney.

"Uhh…"

=============

Still not having heard any word on Gary's condition, Crumb was sitting in the hospital waiting room, sipping a cup of coffee and reading a magazine. He suddenly heard something very out of place in a hospital.

"Meoww!"

Crumb looked down at his feet, "What the hell? Hey! You're Hobson's cat! What the hell are ya doin' here?"

The cat began to walk away, but stopped and looked straight at Crumb.

"Oh, geez! Don't tell me I gotta follow ya?"

"Meoww!"

Crumb got up and the cat started walking again.

"If anybody sees me doin' this, they'll swear I'm nuts!"

"Meow!"

"Alright already! I'm comin'!"

The cat scooted around a corner as Crumb followed. After going down a corridor, Crumb noticed that he was now in an area of examining rooms. The cat suddenly darted into one of them and Crumb trailed right behind it. After entering the room, he saw a man laying asleep on a gurney.

"What the hell? HOBSON?"

**-------------**

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

As Crumb hurried over to Gary, he was suddenly distracted by the sound of something metallic falling off of a counter near the gurney. Quickly turning in that direction, he saw the cat on the counter, licking one of it's front paws and sitting on what appeared to be a newspaper. The cat glanced up at Crumb, let out a faint "meow" and then scampered away.

Crumb shook his head, walked over to the counter, spotted the newspaper and picked it up.

"I think this is what Hobson's cat wanted me to see," Crumb quietly said to himself, "But why? Wait! Ain't this that damn rag Hobson always has with him?" Crumb spotted the story on the front page about Mark and Molina and read it. He then saw the date, did a double take and screamed, "OH NO!!! I only half believed this crap, but here it is in my hands! The damn thing is REAL!"

Running back over to Gary, Crumb tried to wake him up by slapping his face, "C'mon, Hobson, snap the hell outta it! Perini and Molina are gonna get killed in an accident and I need your help to stop it!" He slapped him again, "It's in that goddamn paper of yers! C'mon, Hobson, wake the hell up!"

After Gary wouldn't respond to the repeated attempts at waking him, Crumb finally stopped. Tightly grasping _The Paper_ in his hands, Crumb shook his head, looked down at Gary's prone body on the gurney and quietly said, "I guess this time it's up to me, kid, ain't it?"

=============

Lois, Bernie, Amma and Marissa were in the waiting room of the ICU when a doctor finally came in to give them an update on Gary.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hobson, Ms. Perini and Mrs. Perini, I have some news concerning Mr. Hobson's condition that I'm able to share with you. First, and most importantly, we've been able to rule out any spinal cord damage."

Amma, Marissa and Bernie let out a collective sigh of relief while Lois shook her head and quietly said, "Thank God."

The doctor then continued with a tone of caution in his voice, "But we're still waiting for the test results on Mr. Hobson's vertebrae. In cases like his, it's possible that the vertebrae can be chipped, cracked or even pushed out of alignment. That would put pressure on the nerve endings in his spinal cord and could create paralysis. Even a tiny fragment of a bone chip can be serious if it's lodged at a pressure point and would require surgery." After seeing the look of concern on all of their faces, the doctor shook his head, "However, it's also possible that it might just be a pinched nerve along the base of the spine which wouldn't need an operation. The symptoms are almost the same."

"When will you know for sure?" demanded Lois, "My son is supposed to get married tomorrow!"

"We'll know very soon," the doctor lightly rubbed his forehead, "And even if it's just a pinched nerve, Mrs. Hobson, you need to understand that your son won't be walking around for a few days and may have to put his wedding plans on hold. In addition, he'll probably need physical therapy regardless of what his condition is."

"My sister Monica is a licensed physical therapist," Marissa quickly interjected, "And I can ask her to come down from Milwaukee to take care of Gary! I know she wouldn't mind since she's come here before to help out my husband a few times with some back problems that he has and told me that if she was ever needed, just to give her a call."

"Mrs. Perini, I'm sure that your sister is an excellent therapist," replied the doctor, "But it's far too early to decide on who will give it or what type of therapy it will be since we need to see what his condition is first." Marissa nodded her head and the doctor continued, "But even if it's only as simple as a pinched nerve or as complicated as a bone fragment lodged near a nerve ending requiring surgery, this hospital has some fine therapists of its own and it would be much less complicated for the patient to utilize their services, rather than importing a therapist from elsewhere."

"Marissa was just trying to help," said Amma, "And besides, Gary knows Monica and might feel more comfortable!"

"I understand that, Ms. Perini," the doctor answered, "But first, as I said before, we really need to concentrate on his condition and how we can treat it. It's only after we know what we're dealing with that we should concern ourselves with the choice of therapists for him."

"I have to agree with the doctor," said Lois, "We really need to know what's wrong with Gary first, then work on how to take care of him. After all, I want my son to be well enough to walk down that aisle with you, Amma!"

Amma walked over to Lois and hugged her tightly, "So do I, Lois, so do I!"

=============

Crumb carefully read over the story that reported Mark and Molina's deaths, 'A double tragedy occurred late yesterday afternoon on the Kennedy Expressway near the Jefferson Park exit. At approximately 4:30 PM, Mark Perini, 39, of Chicago, was changing a flat tire on the expressway's shoulder when he was fatally struck and killed by a car driven by Frank Molina, 69, of Skokie. Molina had lost control of his vehicle after apparently suffering a fatal heart attack. Tragically, this was the second accident that Molina had been involved with that day. He had just been released from police custody on Personal Recognizance after turning himself in for a hit and run that had occurred at the intersection of W. Chicago Avenue and N. Wells Street at 10 AM. A police spokesman from the fourth precinct said that Molina, the owner of Molina's Trash Service and a former FBI agent, "Had a clean driving record and was thought not to be a flight risk. Since Mr. Molina turned himself in, and had cooperated fully with the officers in charge of the accident investigation, we saw no need to hold him. Unfortunately, we had no idea that Mr. Molina had a heart condition. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of Mr. Perini and Mr. Molina." Perini was on his way to pick up his uncle at O'Hare Airport when the company van he was driving suffered a flat tire. In an ironic, but very sad coincidence, Gary Hobson, the pedestrian whom Molina struck in the earlier hit and run, employed Perini as a bar manager and was also engaged to Perini's cousin, Anna Maria Perini. Perini is survived by his wife, Marissa, 35, and children, Cassandra and Gianfranco, both aged nine months, all of Chicago. Molina is survived by his sister, Doris Cooper, 63, of Omaha, NE.'

Crumb scratched his head while figuring out what to do to prevent the fatal accident from happening. 'What the hell would the kid do?' he thought, 'How in the hell can I stop Molina from leavin' the fourth precinct station on P.R. after he turns himself in? And how's I'm supposed to contact Perini? He's just like Hobson and don't carry a cell phone!' He paced back and forth in a hospital corridor until an idea suddenly popped into his head. After going outside, he took his cell phone out of his shirt pocket and dialed it. "I don't know if this'll work," grumbled Crumb as the number he dialed began to ring, "And I ain't even sure if Hobson would handle it like this....but it might be the only damn chance I got!"

**-------------**


End file.
